Kings n' Queens
by andthenyouwokeup
Summary: We was united. One voice. One New Yawk. Den t'ings got bad...An angsty, romance and action filled, murderous adventure!
1. BANG!

This is a longer version of a summary and a bit of back round so I don't have to spend meaningless chapters on explanations! I just want to see what kind of feed back I get from this...here goes nuthin!

Aftah da strike dere was no Midtown, no Brooklyn or 'Hattan...it was just New Yawk. Everybody finally understood dat WE ran da show! We roamed da street togethah, Bronx an' Harlem, soakin' whoevah got in our way.

One day all dat changed, an' it was nevah da same again. A shot was hoid 'round da tri-state area. A nameless Brooklyn newsie lay dead, an' in da middle of it all stood my bruddah, Roy Mason, Da King a' Queens, with a smokin' pistol in his hand an' a smirk on his face.

Dis is the aftahmath. Dis is Brooklyn vs. Queens, the final battle. Dis...is love.

How's that should I bother to keep going?? RnR

-Ash-


	2. Confessions

"Bless me Faddah, for I have sinned..."

"How many days has it been since your last confession?"

"We're countin' in days??" the urgent voice of a guilty teenager filled the confessional and the ears of a tired old priest. She hadn't known how to ask for forgiveness, never had set foot in a church before that day. She had caught Monahan, one of the boys, kneeling and fingering a rosary, and had threatened to 'beat da taw outta him' if he didn't show her how. I was an odd way to learn how to pray but none the less, she was there, in the church.

"What wrongs have you committed against the Lord or God, Child?" she didn't much like being called a child, and hated admitting her faults.

She hesitated for a long time, trying to think. Monahan hadn't told her about this part, she'd have to give him a shiner or two when she got home. "I ain't quite sure what's right an' what's wrong anymore...faddah..." she added, out of respect for this man of God.

"Have you put any gods before The Almighty?"

"gods? No..." she said, trying to squint through the checkered partition, giving up when she realized that if she could see him...he could see her. She wasn't safe in many places, and even had to be suspicious in a church.

"Gods can come in many forms, money, pride--"

"Pride..." she said absently.

"I see...have you kept the Sabbath Day holy?"

"When's da Sabbath?"

"Sunday."

"Oh right, right...what's tahday?"

"You don't know what day it is??" he asked, surprised at her ignorance.

"Well, ev'ry day ya jist git up, do wacha gotta do tah survive, go tah sleep-if ya got a place tah sleep-an' repeat da process da next day." she told him, explaining her life, and the life of every New Yorker at that time, in a sentence.

"Do you cheat? Steal?"

"Cheat? Only when we'se got havin' one a' our big pokah games wit' dah boys from dah Bronx or Harlem. I ain't proud of it...I feel like a goddamn jackass, hidin' aces in me sleeves--"

"That's taking the Lord's name in vain."

"Sorry Faddah..." she said dismissing him. It wasn't that she didn't hold this priest in high esteem...she just liked the sound of her own voice. When she got started, there was no stopping her. "Ya know, dat stealin' is justifiable. Ya gotta eat ta live, an' sometimes ya gotta steal ta eat."

"The Lord always provides to those in need--"

"Dat ain't true! If I jist sat on my ass waitin' for food ta fall outta dah sky ev'ry time I was hungry, I'd be sittin' in dat spot for dah rest a' my life, 'til I die a' starvation dat is. So let's jist agree to disagree on dat one."

The priest was taken by surprise and had lost count of how many 'Hail Mary's and 'Our Father's it would take to save this poor soul.

"Do you honor your father and mother?"

"I don't have a Muddah and Faddah..." It's true. She's an orphan, since as long as she could recall. Never knew her parents and never knew what happened to them. They were just non-existent, it's always just been her, her brothers, and a faint remembrance. "So, what are dah othah sins? I know dere's more."

"Do you lie?"

"No."

"No?"

"No. Lyin' is wacha do ta git outta trouble. It's a coward's way out. I ain't a coward an' I ain't afraid a' nuthin or nobody!"

"I believe you...Have you ever committed a murder?"

"A...murder?"

"Killed another person, taken a life?"

The question fell before silence.

"Charlie? CHARLIE???" there was an impatient knock on the door and someone was calling her name.

"I'm sorry faddah, I got othah business to attend to," she said, getting up off her knees and reaching for the knob. "Please...pray for me."

She had already gone, and he said to no one, "Don't worry, I will...may God have mercy on you."

A near-woman and her escort began to walk briskly out of the sanctuary of an fantastically designed church in Queens, New York when he lit up a cigarette.

"Ya desicratin' da House a' God..."

"Fuck God." He responded, and caused a nurse in a pew nearby to blush and catch her heart in her throat before 'shoo'ing them both out the door. "I dunno why ya bothah goin' in dat place. There ain't no God an' if dere was, what would he want wit' a couple a' street rats like us?"

She raised her fist threateningly, "It'd be pretty hard ta keep criticizin' me wit' a fat lip, ya know Rusty?"

He smiled, "Yea, yea I know--"

"Why'd you call me out anyway?"

"Oh, you're gona love dis...Sumner's heah."

Sure enough, a tiny boy, less than ten-he wasn't even positive how old exactly-stood on the street corner, wringing his hat in his hands. "Hiya Charlie..." he said cautiously.

"What's Roy want, Sumner?" The sun had almost completely set and the streets were calming down, she was looking at another job.

"He jist said he wanted ya, now."

The three walked a few blocks to the Queens Lodging house-if it could be called that-and once they arrived, they split. Charlie made her way to the fourth floor, and last door on the left. She was stopped, while she was in a hurry, by a girl that came halfway to her stomach.

She looked up at her with dark, ocean blue eyes. "How do I look Charlie?" The girl had rouged cheeks and lips, and a corset dress on to match her eyes. "Courtney gave me sum a' her clothes an' makeup! How do I look???"

"Like a Grade-A whore--"

"Charlie!!!" Courtney appeared from Roy's room. She's his favorite. She and the small girl, Paige, are the only ones allowed in his room besides the family. "Your brother's in there."

"S'pose you jist got done wit' him?"

"Shut UP Charlie."

"It don't bothah you any...go find Monique. Git a job."

"Yay! Monique! C'mon Courtney lets go!!!" Paige dragged Courtney into the stairwell and out of sight.

She stepped into the room and was overcome with the smell of sex, blood, cheap cologne, and smoke.

"How's it goin' baby sistah?" he asked, sitting back in his chair and perching his worn shoes on a crate from one of the Brooklyn docks. It's his one of his prized possessions.

"Why don't you tell me how it's goin' big bruddah..."

"I'm sendin' you out tahnight."

"I figured that much...where? who?"

He got up and went to the drawer in his nightstand to get a small piece of paper. "You know we don't say stuff like dat out loud. Here." He handed the paper to her and she shoved in her pocket without even looking at it.

"Anything else?"

"Yea...quit messin' around wit' Courtney. She has da idea you don't like her or sumpthin!"

"Fine. Tell her to keep her brat outta my way."

"Paige ain't nuthin--"

"Even though you're dah leadah heah Roy, you're still family and I trust I can tell you when sumpthin's botherin' me an' you won't be critical wit' me..."

"I ain't bein' critical...but when my goil aint happy, I ain't happy."

"Then git a new one!!! I don't get why you pretend she's special wit' you fuckin' all a' Queens!"

"You were right about one t'ing Charlie," he said while getting up. "I am da leadah heah. An' what I says, goes...right now I say YOU go!" he opened the door and gestured her out. "Now, Charlie!!!" She tore out of the room at the sound of him yelling and got a swift kick on the ass along the way.

The Queens Lodging House is not like any other. The top floor holds Roy and Courtney's room, Paige never leaves their side either unless they need 'alone time.' Donovan's is next to theirs...but lets not talk about him until we have to. After that is Charlie's room, then Wyatt's. Wyatt is her little brother, he's an innocent-one of the younger boys.

You cover your ears while going down the stairwell between floors four and two. The third floor is where the older girls stay. Sometimes what you hear through the walls will give you nightmares.

The second floor is where the older boys stay. You go there if you want to lose some money or get a few bruises.

The Innocents have the next floor. All the kids, 12 and younger-Roy's rules, one of his smarter ones.

The ground level is where the kitchen and dining room are. There's always hot food ready, in the morning when everybody wakes up, at lunchtime when a few people pop in between 11 and 3, and at dinner as well. Nobody's quite sure how it gets there, but it's always there. The lounge has a few worn couches that the younger kids fight over, and there's an office where the Advisor would keep all the paperwork on the lodgers--if there was an Advisor.

"Where we goin'?" Rusty asked, kicking off from leaning on the building. Charlie fumbled with the paper, got it out of her pocket and threw in at his head.

He picked it up off the ground, brushed off the dirt and read, "...Midtown...dat's closer ta 'Hattan den I wana be--"

"You scared?" Charlie secured her hat on her head and shoved loose pieces of hair inside. Dark New York is a creepy place. "Scared a' 'Hattan?"

"I ain't scared a' nuthin! I'm scared...a' 'Hattan's friends, ya know?" He looked at the ground, refusing to meet her eyes.

"Conlon? He ain't nuthin'..." They walked together, saying nothing. "So who is it?"

Rusty sighed, took off his hat, letting his signature red hair stand out and glow under the street lights, and pulled out the paper once again. "Man by da name a' Danny Walker."

"An' where is Mistah Walker dis evening?"

"His brudder's place on Sutton."

"Dey make it too easy for us! Lets go." They crossed the bridge and continued into the night...


	3. Still an Innocent

"Charlie? Ya heah me?" Rusty's voice cut through the hovering silence in the dark back street.

"Yea...I heah ya." She heard everything at that moment. The nighttime trolley bells. A scream in Soho. It's the adrenaline, the anxiousness, that does that to your senses. Heightens them. The click of a door opening down the street made her head jolt, and her ears strain, further still, to listen...

"G'bye Uncle Danny!"

"mmm! G'bye Bonnie! An' T'anks John...really...school ain't never been an option for me--"

"Don't mention it...anything for the family, right?"

"Right. Ya know, I won't forget this..."

"I don't expect you to! Bye Danny!"

"See ya 'round!"

Charlie noted that his feet held a certain spring in each step. He started to casually pass the alley, looking up at the stars, striding with his hands in his pockets, until Rusty moved from behind Charlie, grabbed him, and pulled him back. Charlie couldn't hear anything now except Danny's voice filling the night's air.

"What's da big idea, waddaya want? GIT OFFA ME!!!"

"Daniel Walker?" Charlie asked the young man Rusty was holding, against a brick wall, by the collar. He silenced and nodded at the sound of his name. "We been sent heah ta collect."

"Collect? I don't undahstand!"

"You owe a significant amount a' money to a Mistah Mason." The words spilled from her mouth. They're just routine.

"Mason? Mason...Roy Mason??"

"Dah one an' only."

"Look, I ain't go dah money right no-ow-OW!!!" Rusty had grabbed his arm and twisted around his back. "I GIT ME DUES TAHMARROW!!! I-I'll come down an' deliver da cash ta him personally!!" Rusty looked back at Charlie and moved his head towards the entrance of the alley.

She walked backwards away from the scene and mockingly crooned, "We'll be seein' ya tahmarrow den...my buddy heah's gona give ya a little remindah though, sumpthin ta make showah you won't be skimpin' out on us."

She leaned against a street light and listened the sounds of the rumble. Trash can crashing, 'oof's and 'oooh's, fleshy thuds on pavement. She could distinguish between them all.

After a few minutes, Rusty emerged, slightly frazzled, and instinctively bringingt a shakey grasp to his vest pocket for his cigarettes. He walked right past Charlie and she jogged to keep up with him.

"So...How'dja take care a' it dis time?" she asked as he kept speeding and snuffed a jet of steely grey smoke through his nose, letting it curl and fade to blend with the black sky.

"Jist a couple a' black an' blues." he answered and inhaled deep on his cigarette again. "Might a' broken his nose, couldn't tell. Too damn dark in there."

"Not feelin' too creative?"

"Fuck off, Charlie. Lets jist go home."

They did. The two of them walked back over the bridge and their feet brought them to the Queens Lodging House. When in, Rusty moved towards the 2nd floor, Charlie stopped at the 1st.

"Where ya goin'?"

"I'll be in bed in a minute I gota take care a' sumpthin foist."

"'Night."

She opened the stairwell door silently and stepped into the corridor, where she was confronted with screams and giggles. The closer she got to the Girl's Room, the louder they got. She didn't bother knocking as she swung the door open and let it smack the wall.

"Alright! TIME FOR BED!!!"

"Bed?!? It's only 2 o'clock!!!"

_Lesley_

"Jist do what I says OK?!?"

_Shanley, Raelin, McKayla_

"Aww, beat it Charlie!!!"

_Lynette, Colleen, Deidre, Kerry_

"Shutup ya little brat! Git inta bed an' go ta sleep!

_Kiara, Rowena, Lassie_

"You all is so loud! Ya wanna wake up Roy???

_Pixie, Lindsay--_

"That wacha wanna do???

_That's 13...there are 14, who's missin'???_

"Be my guest! Go for it!

_Paige...she's prolly up wit' Roy an' Courtney den._

"When he beats da shit outta you, don't say I didn't warn ya!!!"

All the girls were in bed when Charlie left. ALL of them, Charlie made sure. She counted almost every night to make sure they were all there. That none of them were kidnapped, or taken by the bulls, or brought to an orphanage. They didn't appreciate her though, they didn't know what she was really doing.

She staggered tiredly up the two flights of stairs and towards her room--

"How'd it go, Chaaaaarlie?"

Charlie jumped about a mile high and turned to see Donovan coming out from the far dark corner in the hall.

"Shit you scared me! Warn people when you're gona do dat, eh?" Donovan just smirked and advanced on her. She kept her hand tight on the door knob.

"How'd it go?" he asked again, ignoring her.

"The kid's comin' ovah tahmarrow--"

"Tahmarrow?"

"He didn't have nuthin on 'im" she answered, trying to ignore how dangerously close he was getting.

"I'm sure if you'd a' strung him up by his toes, sumpthin wudda fallen outta his pockets." She tried to open her door and slip in, but he slammed it shut with his palm. He positioned himself so one hand was on either side of her head, she was trapped. She crained her neck to look up at him, he was more than a foot and a half taller, much stronger, and 2 years older. "Ya too soft...ya have too much faith in people...ya care too much--"

"I don't even!!!" she yelled back at him, but cursed herself when she realized she could have woken up her brother. He just smirked again and brought a finger to his lips, giving her a 'shh' face.

"Ya still an Innocent Charlie..." he said and pushed him self off the wall and away from her. He gave her a small wink before retreating to his room.

Charlie quietly walked into her room, and stripped down to her long-johns--it was a hot Summer.

Her bed squeaked and moaned under her pressure, it got her mind off the street sounds coming from outside. She stared at the ceiling for a long time, thinking. Thinking about Mister Daniel Walker, Rusty, Donovan...his words echoed back and bounced off the recessed walls of her mind.

_"Ya still an Innocent Charlie..."_

"Is dat so bad?" she whispered to nobody, before turning over and falling asleep.

Hope that was alright! I'm one of those suspense builders, so forgive me if it's taking me a while to get to your favorite Newsies!

Review!

-Ash


	4. Breaking Tradition

Charlie woke up that morning with the sun. She was one of few people in the House with her own bathroom. While letting her eyes adjust to the new light, she took water from the pump and filled a tiny tub, halfway to the top.

Her hair was long, nearly down to the small of her back. It took a long time to wash it, so she normally let it tangle and knot the whole week through, without cleansing it until the weekend. Unlike the other girls her age, she didn't have to look prefect for any one, or many persons.

Once she finished, she dried off with a dirty, peach-colored towel, defeating the purpose of the bath. Taking a comb to her hair, her eyes wandered to a full-length mirror, that had always been there, using up space and collecting dust.

Today she wiped off the grime-ridden mirror and looked at herself, truly looked at herself, for the first time in a long time.

A pair of grey long johns--cleaner than the ones from last night, but still not honestly clean--graced her body. She was not pretty by many means. Her hair was usually a ratted blond, and her eyes were a cold, intimidating black. Her face was fair and pale with subtle soft features.

After inspecting herself further, she braided her think hair and walked downstairs for breakfast.

She played with her bowl of oatmeal and watched as a few girls strode in from outside and darted straight up to their rooms, bumping into a few of the down-coming guys along the way--

"Val! We had a date last night! You were supposed to meet me--"

"Monique gave me a job, I had to go."

"But--"

"I'm tired!! Ok Brian?!? Talk to me when I've had some sleep!!!"

Charlie watched as Valerie, clad in a large man's overcoat pushed past a distressed Brian and nearly knocked Rusty over as he was on his way down.

"Watch where ya goin' eh??" Rusty yelled after her before sitting down next to Charlie and stealing a spoonful of her oatmeal.

"Gitcha own!!!" she yelled and smacked his hand. He winced and pulled it close to his chest. "You ok?"

"It's jist me hand from las' night, I'm fine." he said and held it out for her to see.

"It's all purple an' bloody--"

"I'm fine."

Charlie didn't press it any further because at that moment her brother, Courtney, Donovan, Wyatt, and Paige descended the stairs. The room fell into a hushed silence as Roy took his place at the head of the table and began to eat.

"Lets git outta heah Rust," Charlie said and excused herself. Rusty followed and tugged on a cap as they went outside.

They walked together for a while, kicking stuff in the street back and forth until Rusty pipped up, "So...whatta we doin' tahday?"

Charlie let out a sigh and started her rant, "Ya ask me da same t'ing ev'ry day...we'se goin' wander 'round aimlessly 'til we find ourselves at da Diner. Once we're dere I'll git a ham sandwich an' you'll have da vegetable soup...like always."

They did just what she said they would do...wandered aimlessly until they found themselves at Mel's Diner on the corner of Wyckoff and Summerfield. They walked in and nobody looked their way, nobody cared about two dirty teenagers coming in for a bite. They grabbed a booth in a far corner and waited until the waitress showed up.

"Hiya Charlie, Rusty! What kin I getcha?"

"Da usual--"

"Actually," Rusty started, "I'll have da Roast Chicken Shirley...wit' mashed potatoes, gravy an' a nice piece a' apple pie." Charlie blinked twice and her eyes widened it shock. A tradition was broken in a matter of minutes.

"Sho' t'ing kid...an' a ham sandwich fah Charlie heah...gotcha! It'll be out inna minute!" She walked off to the back, leaving the kids there.

"I jist don't undahstand you." Charlie said, shaking her head.

"I like tah keep people guessin!" Rusty answered with a smile.

"Ya doin' a damn good job! Hope ya payin' fah all a' dis!"

They sat and ate and then they left. The only signs they had been there were a couple dirty plates.

When they walked out their ears were invaded by the sound of a heated argument down the street. They ran down and found three of their boys ganging on a small scared Newsie.

A Brooklyn Newsie.

"Ya lost kid?" One boy asked, circling the trespasser.

"Yea...you'se ain't from 'round heah!"

"PETER!!! GIT BACK OVAH HEAH NOW!!!" Charlie turned and saw a red faced girl about her age across the street, calling to the boy. He was too scared to move.

"You smell...like Brooklyn." Another boy said while grabbing his papers and throwing them to the ground.

"PETER!!!!!"

'Peter' finally gained control of his legs and sprinted to the other side of the street where he joined the girl and they ran away as fast as they could. The boys from Queens picked up rocks and started throwing them in their direction.

"Stay on ya side a' da border!"

"We don't need ya trash heah!"

"You tell 'im Alan!!!"

The boys stepped in time and headed back to the Queens Lodging House. Alan kept going on about the intruder the whole way back.

"Stinkin' up our borough dat's what dey do--dat's all dey do! We don't need their scum heah! Dis is our territory!!!" he had all the enthusiasm of a preacher, and his friends backed him up with 'yea's and an occasional crack on Brooklyn.

They all climbed up the steps to the House, but just as Charlie was on her way in she was shoved aside, into the threshold.

"Hey! Watch it!!!"

The person turned around and she could just barely make out the mangled, sneering face of Daniel Walker. His nose, did indeed, look broken and brandished a white gauze. His face was bruised, bloodied, and distorted. He looked between Charlie and Rusty before going back on his way to Midtown.

The two exchanged glances and stepped inside to the Lounge to relax for a while...

xxxxx

Good? yes? no? REVIEW!!!  
Ash


	5. Payback

**Disclaimer:** err yea forget to pop this in my first 4 chapters...whoopsie! As much as I'd LOVE to own the Newsies...I do not...but, ya know, Christmas is just around the corner!! :P

**Outsider Wolf:** Lets go with Danny being beat up twice...once by Rusty then by Roy...mean I know but hey...you thought THAT Brooklyn/Queens action was hot! READ THIS!!! lol  
**splashey:** Thank you! Rusty...what a character lol  
**Scamley Elliot:** Potential is always a good sign lol Thank you!  
**Am I Blue:** Trying my best to stay consistent, hope I'm doing a good job! :)

**I'm trying to introduce a bunch of OC's because I have so many of them bouncing around in my head that they're starting their own conversations--that's when you know you GOTTA get them out!!!  
-Ash**

The Lounge was full within a half hour and Charlie sat, very un-lady-like, in a chair against the far wall. Rusty sat next to her, both of them stayed quiet the entire time. Charlie was busy indulging in two of her favorite hobbies.

Eavesdropping and people-watching.

She picked up on little bits of conversations and scanned the room of people talking animatedly to their partners.

"Beau! Ya takin' an awful long time ta get rid a' dat bastard from Little Italy--"

"I know, I know...bucha gotta undahstand! I was soo close ta poppin' 'im when his sistah showed up! Fine piece a' woik she is...but I swear, once I bed her, da jobs done. I'll sneak outta her room an'..."

Charlie left that conversation, not wanting to know the following details. She moved onto the next...

"Well...me Pop's stock crashed an' heah I am!"

"That...sucks..."

"Yup...a Queens newsie...or umm whatevah ya wana call to think of it, I aint never sold a pape...have you?"

"Nah...dat's for da Innocents. We jist wait 'til Roy calls us on a job...you bin out yet?"

"No..."

"Oh don't worry...he'll find you soon--"

"OOF!!!" Charlie exclaimed, as the 50 pound body of her 6 year-old younger brother landed on her stomach.

"Hiya Charlie!!!"

"Hey Wyatt," she said and pulled him into her arms. "What'd you do today?" she asked, actually seeking an answer. He was the only person that cared for her, with the exception of Rusty.

"Don took me tah thee a boxin' match! Dith one guy got beat up pretty bad--look! Look right here!!!" he said excitedly pointing to a red spot on his shirt. "Dath blood!! Landed right on me thirt!!!" He was missing one of his front teeth, and is made every 's' give off a whistled lisp.

"Sounds like an eventful day!"

"It wath!!!" He was the epitome of the Innocents, their spokes boy. He was blinded by his adolescence from everything that went on behind the scenes in his 'secure' establishment. Everything was a game, everybody was just playing--the games stopped today.

"HELP!!!!!" Heads whipped to the door as a boy stumbled in, dragging what looked like a large heavy bag. "Somebody! GET MIACH!!!" The room watched in horror as the bag slumped to the floor and was turned over to reveal a face--it wasn't a bag...it was a body.

"C'mon kids, upstairs!!!" A guy named Greer said and herded the children away, much to their protests.

The body was picked up and placed on the Mess Hall table. Charlie approached with caution, "Wh-what happened??"

The boy that had dragged the body in, who Charlie thought was named Keegan, had been one of the boys from outside the Diner earlier that day. Now he was tear-stricken and blubbering, "W-we was jumped! Me an' Alan, we was goin' out for da evenin' edition when a bunch a' guys came at us! Five or six of 'em!!!"

Just then Miach, a bigger boy with glasses, dark curly hair and an odd knack for healing cuts and scrapes, hurried down the stairs. He was dealing with more than cuts and scrapes this time. Alan was completely unrecognizable, but suprisingly still breathing.

"What happened???"

"WE WAS JUMPED!!!" Keegan was going into hysterics. He sat down on the floor and rocked back and forth, sobbing.

"God..." Miach breathed, bewildered, looking down at Alan. "What'd dey do ta him?"

"I--I couldn't see much. Dey smacked him around for a while--dey kept hittin' 'im! He tried to fight 'em, but...dey got 'im wit' a chain--to da jaw. He went down like dat an' dey kept hittin' 'im an' kickin' 'im!!!"

"WHAT HAPPENED?!?" Charlie looked up from the quivering child on the floor to where her brother stood, outraged.

Miach hushed Keegan before he could answer, "Couple a' guys cornered 'em...Alan's real messed up..."

"Somebody should tell his sistah!!!" Keegan yelled out between meaningless ramblings.

"Who's his sistah?" Roy asked.

"Kay..." Keegan answered and tried to look up at Roy, but caught a glimpse of his friend, lying almost lifeless on the table, and curled up, burying his face in his arms.

"Somebody go get Kay..." Roy said, so uncharacteristically calm that nobody moved. "GO!!! SOMEBODY GO RIGHT NOW--CHARLIE GO!!!"

Charlie shook her head and ran up to the third floor. The last door on the left was Monique's Bedroom. With her fingers in her ears, she made her way down the corridor. Monique knew everything about every girl working for Roy and staying at the Queens Lodging House, she looked up and smirked as Charlie entered.

"Ya want a job Charlie?" she laughed to herself and her fat belly pulsed with every beat. "Or maybe ya wana set up an appointment?"

"Shutup bitch an' tell me if Kay's out tahnight."

"Kay? She's up in Astoria, why?"

Her question fell flat as Charlie ran out and forgot to cover her ears...the sounds of moans, gasps, and sex flooded her mind and she needed to throw up.

When she made it back to the Lounge, there was a new scene waiting for her. Roy had Keegan by the collar and was shaking him.

"Jist tell me who did it!!!" he bellowed.

"BROOKLYN!!!" Keegan wailed, and landed on the hard, wooden floor in a heap.

"Alright den Conlon...Lets play." Roy said and let the steps echo as he walked up to his room. Miach tended to Alan as best as he could, then brought him and Keegan up to their bunks. Charlie was alone and collapsed onto the chair she had been occupying 20 minutes ago, when the whole world was less complicated.

xxxxx

Roy spent the next 3 days in his room.

Alan lived unconsciously, with his sister by his bedside, whenever she didn't have to go out.

Charlie and Rusty were walking out of Mel's when Sumner came up to them after hiding from behind a trash can. All the kids were afraid to be this close to the border after what had happened.

"Hiya Charlie..."

"Hey Sumner...Roy outta his room yet?" she asked, concerned. Her brother could get worked up. He loved his 'job.'

"No...but he called for ya."

They went back. The House was a weird place to be these days, all the Innocents stayed inside unless they really had to leave. You had to climb over people to get to the stairwell.

Charlie went to her brother's bedroom door and hesitated before turning the knob. When she finally did, she saw Roy sitting in his chair, without his feet resting on his favorite crate--it was in pieces on the other side of the room.

"Hey R--"

"I'm sendin' ya out tahnight. Wit' Don." Roy said and motioned with his head behind her, where Donovan was leaning against the wall by the doorway.

"No! Why???" Charlie hated Donovan. They had known each other as long as they could remember--and she hated him for that long too.

"BECAUSE I SAYS SO CHARLIE!!!!! Damn it! You listen ta what I say an' ya don't ask questions, ya jist do it!!!" he yelled, and Charlie flinched. He came right up to her face and changed his tone to mockingly croon to her, "Maybe, I'm too tah you...maybe I should jist whore you out like da rest a' dah goils..." He tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear in a taunt loving fashion. "Whatta ya say to dat Don?"

Don gave Charlie a wink and opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to it. "Ok! I'll go, alright?!?"

"That's my baby sistah--"

"I'm takin' Rusty wit' me." she said in a way she hoped was defiant.

"Fine." he responded, and threw up his hands submissively.

"Where we goin'?" Charlie asked. Roy pointed to Don, who help a small, crumpled piece of paper in his right hand and was playing his own game of catch with it. He smirked when he felt her eyes on him and held the paper out to her. She huffed, walked up to him, and snatched the paper from his hand.

It was ripped in a few places and the ink was worn, but she just made out the last word on the page and gasped...

"BROOKLYN"


	6. Hands and Eyes

**DISCLAIMER:** Go ahead...sue me...all you'll get is the $16.32 I have in my account, a greenday tour shirt, and a few sketches!

**TIME IS A WASTE OF LIFE:** YAY!!! lol ahh I know, I know SOO short! I'll just start writing, and when I feel it's done then it's done, ya know? Hooray for favorites lists!!!  
**SPLASHEY:** thank you! Spot...I can't wait to write him!!!  
**SCAMLEY:** grim, dark--yes very lol I should have put more of a warning I suppose...but now you're hooked right?? No going back! P  
**OUTSIDER WOLF:** Roy...::sigh:: In my mind he's cute, but he's a REALLY big jerk--I prefer Spot, personally lol

Sorry it's taken me so long! On Thursday I when to NY to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular thing, it was awesome--cute...it was cute lol We had to walk through the Fashion District to get there...THAT was awesome! Then on Christmas Eve I had to do the family thing...woohoo...BUT when I opened my presents (we do presents on Christmas Eve) lying before me was one of the most beautiful things in the world. Amidst the brightly colored paper and tinsel, was the NEWSIES DVD!!! YAY!!! Christmas I went to my brother's house, but I stole away to write this in between my sister-in-law's extravagant deserts and screaming, crying, diaper rash-ridden nephews and nieces...yea...Then at 6:30 on 2nd Christmas Day (as my best friend's Opa calls it "Iss a German hol-eh-day!") I left for upstate NY where I snowboarded and snowmobiled and snowmo-boarded (an amazing new sport, it'll be all the rage in Japan soon enough) my days away with no computer...sigh BUT NOW I'M BACK!!! And this isn't a BLOG it's a FANFIC so lets get to it!!!

ON WITH THE STORY!!!

xxx

"Brooklyn? BROOKLYN?!?"

"That's what it says, don't it?" Donovan said, priggishly walking out of the room. Charlie looked back at her brother, who had already dismissed she was even there. She ran and caught up with Don.

"Is Roy crazy?!?"

"Don't say stuff like dat Charlie!!!" Rusty said as he joined the two further down the hallway.

She ignored him and continued her rant. "Dis is ridiculous! We're gona get killed! We're gona get fuckin' killed!!!"

"Where we goin'?" Rusty asked anxiously.

"BROOKLYN!"

"Brooklyn...?" he repeated in a daze, and reached into his vest pocket for a cigarette.

Charlie wanted to scream. To protest, to just say 'NO!' But what would that get her? A smack in the face, a kick in the ass--she'd be forced to go anyway. What's the use?

"It's late," Don said while glancing out a window, blackened by the night's sky. "We should go now."

They all stood dazed for a minute or so, prolonging the inevitable. Don was the first to leave, Rusty followed after taking a long last draw of his cigarette. Charlie fought her legs for as long as she could but caved. "Who are dey?" she called up to the boys and made her way to Rusty's side.

"Brice 'Gin' Gin an' Elijah 'Stripes' Morton...not dat it matters no more." Don responded.

The three walked across the border and unconsciously began moving in the shadows. From trash can, to lamp post, to building nook. Charlie almost walked past one of numerous back streets, but was jolted into it by a rough hand on her wrist nearly pulling her arm from the socket. She looked back and found Don's eyes before he said gruffly, "Dis is it."

"Dis is what?" Charlie asked with her nose turned up at the smell of fish. She suspected they were near the bridge, the docks, Conlon's territory.

Don sighed and shook his head. "Where we wait for 'em."

"We'se jist gona wait?"

"Ya gotta bettah idea sweetheart? Ya bruthah's been spendin' all a' his time on dis little meetin', ya doubtin' his abilities?!" Don was known for his sharp temper, and for pinning all his anger on Charlie whenever he could--almost as though he gained pleasure from riling her up.

She stammered out, "No, I--"

"Watcha self Charlie." he interrupted with his stupid, arrogant, smug smirk.

Charlie's hatred blinded her as she focused on his face. Everything else faded to black, not for long, but long enough for her to lose her footing and knock over a stack of crates to her right with a resounding 'CRASH!!!'

The next few minutes were a stream of cusses, jabs, and insults. No one noticed the quickened footsteps moving in their direction, so they were all startled when a voice rang over their wrath-inspired grapple.

"WHO'S BACK THERE?!?" Silence fell abruptly. Light shone into the alley well enough for the three to catch each other's eyes before another voice called to them.

"Everybody alright??" They were getting closer. Charlie and Rusty held their breaths and found one another's hands, for a comfort as Don stepped up.

"We're fine heah!" he said, advancing, with his face still adorning that smirk. He held out his hand to the person closest him, a blond of about 17, wearing a blue striped shirt. The two politely bowed as their hands met, and Don was the first to speak up. "Lemme guess..." he started and began appraising them, "Stripes an' Gin...am I right, or what??"

Standing in the darkness, Charlie memorized their look of utter confusion as they exchanged glances and nodded solemnly.

"Hey guys! C'mon out I found 'em!!!" Don called behind his shoulder, never breaking eye contact with his prey.

Charlie and Rusty emerged and the fear radiating from the two Brooklynites was evident in the air. Charlie noted how Rusty looked at that moment, the look in his eyes summed up the description of intimidation. He changed into a different man when he was on a job.

"RUN!!!!!" was all that was heard out of poor Stripes' mouth before Don jumped on him. Gin tore off into the main street and disappeared.

"RUSTY GO AFTAH 'IM!!!" Rusty complied to Don's command and ran with ruinous agility.

'Stripes' and Don had it out for a while. Don doesn't just like to attack--he likes to tease. He'd pretend to be winded for a second, before pouncing with possibly more force.

It was normally a silent, sacred act, but nothing was normal about dear Donovan Sloan.

"So Charlie..." he said, followed by a kick to Stripes' stomach, he was now in a particularly wet part of the ground, holding his knees to his chest in an attempt to shelter himself. "Ya wana git a few hits in?" He throw another blow to Stripes' ribcage and chased that by sending a grin in her direction. "Oh, I forgot--" The next hit fell into rhythm. "--you jist tag along, an' let us big boys do all a' da woik--" Another kick, and a repulsive gurgle escaped from the supposed mouth of the mound that is Elijah Morton.

"--sad really..." Don mused. "It's a great way ta git outcha frustration..." The beating stopped while Don turned and raised a brow, "No? Ya sure?" Charlie could only stare.

"Ok den! I'm done!" he said with a smile, and Charlie let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding in a relieved sigh. She made her way out to look for Rusty--but stopped on a dime and spun around upon hearing the single sound of a small 'click.'

Donovan grasped a revolver, its hammer cocked, its barrel pointed at the horrified face of 'Stripes.'

Charlie was at a loss, "Don..." He shot her a short glance. "Don, what're ya doin'?" she asked, calmly trying to stay composed.

"Ya bruthah's orders." was his scant answer.

She knew all this. She knew her brother killed people, and that he had people kill people for him, but nobody was supposed to know about it, it was always kept well under wraps. And NEVER in front of her! Had he completely lost his morals? Had he really gone crazy?

"Don..."

"WHAT Charlie?!?" he bellowed, losing patience. "Lemme do my JOB an' you kin jist stand dere an'--what is itcha do? 'Supervise'?? Ya scared if ya ask ME. Ya don't really do nuthin' 'round heah. Ya meaningless! If you wasn't 'fam'ly' Monique would have ya shacked up wit' halfa New Yawk ev'ry night! I tell Roy, dat's what we should do, whore you'se out. Ya know Charlie...I'd gladly be ya foist customer--FUCK!!!"

Donovan's sadistic speech ended with a 'click' of its own. He had distracted himself long enough for Stripes to wield his borough's puerile, yet signature weapon--a slingshot--and launch a Midnight Black marble to the gunman's hand. The end result sent the two to the ground, fighting for their lives, their responsibility, and their people.

Charlie was seemingly paralyzed as Stripes gained the upper hand on Don and held him down with all his weight. Don struggled and writhed beneath him, managing only to kick the involuntarily discarded revolver and cause it to slide before being stopped by Charlie's foot. She stepped back at the contact and looked down at the deadly instrument--

"CHARLIE!!! GIT DAH GUN!!!" she lazily turned to Don and knelt, obeying his request. It was cold and looked harmless in her hand--

"SHOOT 'IM!!!!!" Don screamed, his face red from fury and physical strain.

Shoot him?

No. She couldn't. She couldn't even witness it, much less perform the act!

"WHATTA YA WAITIN' FOR?!?"

Hell to freeze over.

"C'mon Charlie!!!"

Rusty to come back.

"CHA-AR-LIE!!!"

The war to end.

"Charlie!!!!!" The desperation in his voice leaked out, Donovan was showing hopelessness. He soon recovered with dark threats, "One woid from me to ya bruthah about dis an' say g'bye ta ya LIFE Charlie! Ya buddy Rusty'll be as good as gone once I'm done wit' 'im, ya precious virginity--I'll make you da busiest whore in New Yawk!!! It's all a promise Charlie, I'll take EVERYTHING!!!"

He couldn't ask her to do this! He wouldn't take anything--she caught a dangerous glint in his eyes, as Stripes slammed his face into the cobblestone, that confirmed he most definitely would.

"NOW SHOOT HIM!!!"

Her mind reeled and her body took the stance Don held, no more than 10 minutes ago, but her hand and fingers convulsed around the gun, giving his pose more justice.

"SHOOT CHARLIE!!!!!"

She shot.

It echoed in the streets and suddenly the struggle was over, it ceased to the tune of a 'thud'. The chorus of heavy breathing gave way to a duet between two teenagers that shared ONLY the same lodging and the same hate for one another.

Charlie's eyes were shut tight and her whole being shook insanely and her condition didn't waver when the same rough hand that had pulled her so viciously earlier, found its way to her shoulder in an attempt to consol her.

She collected herself, only when her name was being yelled by a friendly voice.

Rusty emerged, heaving, "Charlie! I heard a--Oh my Gawd--DON!!! WHAT'D YOU DO?!? Charlie, look away!" he rushed to her side and gathered her in his arms, where she melted.

"No use in dat! She's da one dat shot 'im."

"Don, you--what--"

"I made her one a' us!" he exclaimed, unable to hold back the laughter behind each word. "She ain't an Innocent no more."

"You...you--"

"Say it Rusty. Say it an maybe I kin git Charlie ta pop you next!"

"SHUTUP!!!!!" Charlie screamed above them and spun out of Rusty's arms violently.

It took a moment for anyone to say anything, but when the time came, Don obliged, "Aww Sweetheart..." The hand tried to snake its way back, but the moment it brushed the back of her neck, trying to rest on her shoulders, she shook it away, disgusted. He continued regardless, "It ain't nuthin' ta be ashamed of! Foist time I 'got rid' a' someone, I got dis huge party--Bronx an' Harlem came, ev'rybody was dere!" He looked up at the stars and his face seemed distant, as though he was reliving the day right then. It sickened Charlie how he thought anything good could come from what she just did--what she HAD to do. "Ya know, you bein' Roy's sistah, yours'll prolly be 10 times bettah--"

"I DON'T WANT A FUCKIN' PARTY!!!!!"

Rusty tried stepping forward, with his arms open to her. "Charlie just--"

"NO!!! Don't touch me!" she screamed at his compassion.

Don chimed in, "Ya thinkin' a' dis in da negative kid--"

"DON'T YOU TALK TO ME!!! I don't need YOU tellin' me what ta do!! JIST LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"

Don grabbed her again, but not gently. He shook her hard. "Ya gona wake up all a' Brooklyn witcha yellin'! Dat watcha want, huh?!"

"Don, let 'er go--"

"NO RUSTY!!! Charlie heah don't know when ta keep 'er mout' SHUT!!!"

He was true to his word and wouldn't let go. The foreign hands on her arms, waist, hips, and shoulders, scorched her. The need for him to let go was so great that she lost logical thought and did the first thing that came to her mind--she brought her knee up hard between his legs and wriggled free.

He fell, moaning in pain on the ground and she ran--

"BITCH GIT BACK HEAH!!!"

She didn't go back, or look back for that matter. She just ran, out of the alley, down the street, down a different street, then another, and more. She forgot she was on dangerous ground until in was too late.

"Who a' you??"

Shit.

Charlie went rigid and turned to see three rather large men blocking her way towards the main road and the border.

"He assed you'se a question..." said one of the three, advancing on her.

Charlie went through her options; run-they'd stop her or catch her, fight-they'd win, scream-people scream all the time and get ignored. They moved closer and she moved back. Every step she took was mirrored by one of theirs in a sick dance until her ankle rolled on a half broken bottle and she fell hard.

She focused on their hidden faces and tried to guess what they would do to her, but she never had to find out. They were all interrupted by a voice...

"HEY!!!!!"

The light pouring in from a nearby street lamp just barely illuminated the figure enough to see a pair of red suspenders and a glimmer of a gold tipped cane, hanging from one of his belt loops.

He turned to her and she met the infamous crystalline eyes.

She was looking into the face of:

her savior.

her enemy.

Brooklyn.

Spot Conlon.

xxx

WAIT! There's more!

I'm one of those 'have-to-visualize' people and I figure I ought to tell you how I see my characters...

ROYMASON: You can see Roy giving a classic face to JACK at "Try any banker, bum or barber..." pumping water

Weird I know that a Newsie from Manhattan, an ally with Brooklyn in my story, inspires Roy's character, but hey, nobody plans their muses, right?

DONOVANSLOAN: If you have the NEWSIES on VHS Don is the LAST Brooklyn newsie to pop up before SPOT's famous "Nevah Fear, Brooklyn is heah!!!" If you have widescreen then he's the SECOND to last...poor guy on the end...probably his only appearance in the movie and he gets no recognition until now because they took too long getting a DVD version...ANYWAY

RUSTYMALOY: Brought about by an old crumbling black and white picture of my great-great Uncle Rusty standing in front of my Gramma's old apartment building in the heart of Old Queens. Tragedy his life really...but I don't think anybody's reading this anymore or cares lol He's got crazy red hair if that helps you paint a picture of him!

Well now I'm done and you can go ahead and REVIEW!!! Pleeaase?? I--I'll letcha stay at da Queens Lodgin' House free a' charge!  
-Ash-


	7. Missing

Hey guys! Took me long enough to get this out huh? Review!  
-Ash

**splashey:** I'm not a violent person either lol It just comes out in my writing...Donovan confused me too...maybe that's not such a good thing but oh well!

**Scamley Elliot:** Yeah he's got her for now...I don't even know for how long jeez lol Thank you! superb...I don't know but thanks! Lol

**Outsider Wolf:** You're so sweet thanks! Poifect haha I guess...lol I hate Don to but I know what you mean, he makes the story. Hope you like this one! )

**Starstruck Lily:** I'm attracted to dark stories I love them lol I try to write fluff but wars and death just come out better--but this one seems kinda happy to me...I don't know I guess everybody HAS to have a good day once in a while...'Reality' was great, it was honest!

* * *

"HEY!!!!!" Charlie watched as the rivaling leader strode towards her and the three other boys with a look of determination and a madness in his eyes that demanded reverence. "I t'ought I told you bums ta find out where dat shot came from!" 

"Spot we'se jist--"

"No."

"We found dis--"

"NO!!! Did I ask for excuses?!? Jist GO!!!"

The once intimidating men--boys, hung their heads and retreated, in single file, out of the alley.

It was just him and her, she counted the precious seconds that she still had her life. He gave her one last look before turning and intending on leaving her there. A large boy stood in his way.

"Let's go Twitchy, c'mon."

"W-Who's da goil Spot?"

"I dunno an' it dudn't mattah."

"Spot we can't jist leave 'er..."

"We kin an' we will!"

"Spot..."

"FINE! GO HELP 'ER!!!"

Charlie stared at the boy as he bent down in front of her and began working off her shoe and releasing her foot, which had already swollen to three times it's size. He was overweight and had greasy brown hair plastered down to his temples.

"Ya know dis is all your fault..." he drawled. "Sure, Spot's boys ain't got no mannahs--cornerin' you like dat--but walkin' aroun' in da dark, dat was your doing--"

Charlie sucked in a sharp breath of air as he touched a particularly sore spot.

"Dat hurt?"

She couldn't move. She knew he was waiting for an answer, but how could she talk to him? Was that allowed?

"Me name's Twitch...ya t'ink you kin ya walk?"

Charlie shifted her weight to her left foot and tried to step on her right, but toppled to the ground in a contortion of limbs.

"I'd take dat as a no..." Spot said from further down the street. Twitch moved to put his arm under hers to support her weight, but she pushed him away.

"I'se not gona hoit ya!" he yelled while gaining his balance.

"I'm fine jist go away!" she tried to convince herself and Twitch.

He wasn't having it. "No you ain't, sumpthin's prolly broken. Where do ya live? We'll see ya home--"

"NO! I kin git dere meself!!"

"Alright...go 'head" Spot called, challenging her to stand by herself.

Charlie glared at him and grabbed a trash can to her right, determined to get up. She wobbled before achieving her goal, but it all ending with a loud 'CLANG' as the trash can gave way, sending Charlie toppling to the floor.

"Ya humbled enough ta ask for help yet?"

She didn't let up her glare, even when she was being pulled up and all her weight was being put on Twitch, she was still trying to kill Spot with her eyes.

"So, where we going?" Twitch asked as the two of them hobbled out onto the main road, along with Spot.

"umm...well..." Charlie was at a loss. What could she say? 'Jist run me ovah ta Queens...Flushing, 31st Ave...yea da Lodgin' House! Pop in an' say 'Hi' to me bruthah Roy, I insist!' Right...

"You don't gotta place, do ya?" he didn't wait for her to answer. "Allow me to extend an exclusive invitation ta you'se to da Brooklyn Newsie Palace!"

"That's very...generous...of you--"

"Generous an' STUPID whatta ya doin' Twitch, she ain't comin' back wit' us!"

"Spot she aint got nowhere ta go!"

"Dat's her problem!!!"

"Cmon Spot, it's da only right t'ing ta do! She was attacked by our boys, dey crippled her! Now ya jist gona leave her in da streets??"

It was a long pause before Spot whipped around and said, "Okay! Jist...keep her outta my way!!!" He stormed into a building across the street.

"Don't worry about him, Spot's jist moody." Twitch said dismissively. "So, what's ya name?"

A name...a name...any name!

"Charlotte..." she answered instinctively. "Charlotte--Maloy." She took Rusty's surname in an attempt to cover her mistake--Rusty...where was he?

"Well Miss Maloy...welcome home!"

Charlie looked up at the old, worn building Twitch was gesturing to with the hand not gripping tightly to her underarm. The place looked as though it would simply crumble to the ground in a heap at any given minute and she barely trusted the steps to the front door to carry two people, even one last time.

The boards creaked under her feet and she still winced as every step sent white-hot pain to shoot through her foot.

When she stepped in, Charlie was ushered to a lounge much like the one back in Queens, she was on her back, on a comfy couch, staring at a moldy ceiling, with people talking all around her.

"Who's dis Twitchy??"

"She's dirty..."

"Shit! Her foot's HUGE!!!"

"I t'ink she's pretty!"

"Shaddup Tiny!"

Charlie brought herself up and looked at the room full of people, particularly 'Tiny', a pudgy-nosed boy with a pile of curly ginger hair on his head, literally inches from her own face.

"Ev'ryone!" Twitch yelled, but nobody could hear him. They were too interested in the new arrival.

"HEY LISTEN UP!!!" Spot bellowed and heads whipped in his direction, the audience was hushed.

Twitch spoke up, "Ummm, right...dis is Miss Charlotte Maloy--somebody git Doc ta check 'er out--she was cornered by some a' our own--which reminds me, somebody find Mikey, Ty, an' Ice an' beat da shit outta 'em!" Several left the room, whether to do what he asked she wasn't sure. "She'll be stayin' wit' us." There were a few murmurs. "Anybody got a problem wit' dat?" If anyone did, they didn't say so. "Good!"

"Now clear out an' go ta bed!" Spot yelled over all the rest.

Groans and shouts of protest were heard from everyone four feet and under, but they were pushed out of the room.

A few characters still hung around, including Spot, Twitch, and another tall boy wearing a backwards black newsie cap over long blond hair that just grazed the top of his ear, who had just walked in, bolted to her side, and was now hovering over her foot in fascination.

"Sprained, just sprained...rest it, stay off it for a few days. Wait, there's a bit of glass--"

"OWW!!!" Charlie screamed and brought her knee to her chest and cradled her ankle with a new gap, gushing blood.

"Now, don't do that, let me see it!" the boy said frustrated and began wrapping the wound with pure white strips of clothing that were tainted red with blood in mere seconds.

"She'll be okay Doc?" Twitch asked.

"She'll be fine. Let her rest, she needs rest." 'Doc' said and walked out muttering to himself.

Spot squatted next to the couch, close to Charlie's face. "I don't see da use in movin' 'er upstairs, Doc says she needs rest, she kin stay heah an' I'll stay too."

"Ok Spot, I'm goin' ta bed den." Twitch said as he brought a blanket to Charlie from the other side of the room.

"Erm...thanks...for everything." she said as she pulled the blanket up closer and turned to the back of the couch so Spot couldn't watch her face to check if she was asleep. How could she sleep with him there?

"No problem." he said to her back, and Spot slumped into a chair opposite her.

Charlie must have spent hours, or what seemed like hours, lying down and staring at the threaded craftwork of the sofa, and contemplating her current situation.

She was in Brooklyn. She was feet away from Spot Conlon, Brooklyn leader. And she wasn't dead...yet. Quite the contrary, he was taking care of her. Spot Conlon was a heartless, ruthless, back-stabbing, sold-his-Grandmother-for-a-buck killer!! Or that's what she'd been told...

Did Twitch trust her? Did they all trust her? Spot didn't. He was smart. They had all let her in, accepted her.

Fools

* * *

"Where's Charlie?" asked a boy leaning against the building, lighting a cigarette. 

"Shutup Porter." Donovan said as he hobbled into the Queens Lodging House with Rusty in his wake.

They stepped into the full lounge and tried to avoid everyone, and just make it to Roy's room in peace.

Wyatt skipped up to them and blocked their way to the stairs.

"Hey guys! Where's Charlie??"

Don knocked him aside and took small steps upwards.

"Rusty?" the blond asked with sad eyes.

"Don't worry 'bout it kid..." he said and ruffled his hair before continuing on his way.

"Hiya boys..." Courtney called down the hall from where she sat, braiding Paige's hair. They ignored her and kept walking.

Donovan gave a short few raps on the door leading to the last bedroom on the left at the top floor of their humble abode.

A muffled, "Come In." was heard from the other side.

Rusty and Don exchanged a quick glance before heading in.

Roy was hunched over a small table, a few papers sprawled out in front of him. He looked up and a large grin spread across his face.

"How'd it go?"

They looked to each other. Don answered, "Fine! It went fine..."

"Good! No Problems?"

"No...no problems..."

"Great, I knew you'd be a good team, I knew I could count on you...t'ree...where's Charlie?"

Rusty took in a deep breath a spoke up, "Roy...she--"

"Gawd...she's not...she's not dead, is she??" Roy asked, cutting him off.

"No! No she's..."

"She ran." Don said finally.

Roy looked at them queerly. "'She ran'? Whadda ya mean 'she ran'?"

"She took off. Down da street, all aroun' Brooklyn. We tried ta find 'er but--"

"Are you tryin' ta tell me...datchu _lost_ my _SISTER?!?"_

"We didn't lose her, we jist--"

"YOU LOST MY SISTER!!!" Roy was standing now, shouting in Don's face.

"I didn't--"

Don was silenced by a backhand to his face, sending him to the ground. Courtney was standing at the door, watching how she would be treated later that night, if Roy stayed in this mood.

Roy was seething, "You git her back, you heah me?? YOU GIT HER BACK!!! I want ev'rybody on dis, undahstand?"

Don got back to his feet with tears in his eyes, but refused to rub his cheek. "I understand." He answered through clenched teeth.

"Now go."

Once clear of Roy's room Rusty asked Don, "What do we do?"

"How should I know...we'll have da scouts head out tomorrow--"

"Tahmorrow?? Charlie could be killed!!!"

"You don't t'ink I know dat?!" Don yelled back. "She dies an' it's my ass!" he studied Rusty's face, he still wasn't satisfied. "I'll put da word out now an' make a few people leave now ok??"

Don left Rusty standing there and slammed the door to his room.

Rusty was about to make his way to his bunk with the rest of the boys on the second floor, but as he passed the open door to Charlie's room, he stepped in, crawled into her bed, and fell asleep.

* * *

Reviw Please! You review and I'll give you...Spot's cane, key, red suspenders, and newsie cap! 

Spot: I don't t'ink so!

Oh ok...maybe I'll just be more encouraged to write faster...

Spot: Dat's bettah!

Hush and go back to my room until I decide to write about you again!!

By the way! I have a new story out! Its a Harry Potter, but it's a crossover with the Newsies...I think maybe it sounds better in my head then on the computer screen...oh well check it out maybe!

REVIEW!!!

-Ash


	8. Fear

Ok, ok I took too long I know. Spot wasn't cooperating with me on this one! But it's out now sooo READNREVIEW!

time is a waste of life: HAHA TOTALLY KILLER! lol thanks for reviewing on my other story! I updated finally...sorry! lol the capital letters...love 'em -Ash

splashey: I'm on a favorite story list? SCORE! lol I've sprained my ankle more times than I can count lol my best friend fell off a curb and broke her foot...It was soo bad-but soooo funny but still soo bad lol hope you liked this one!

Anidwen: yay! that's what I was going for! Don...he's ok...he's one of the tough ones, I like them too! Spot I don't know it seems like I don't portray him well, to me. He's gotta be a hard ass though lol

Outsider Wolf: Here's another new one! Roy's great, he really does like Charlie, he just can't show it ya know? Thanks for reviewing love!

Scamley Elliot: It gets my adrenaline pumping just to WRITE it ahh lol are you back from your trip? I hope you are! I love your reviews!

Starstruck Lily: He doesn't quite recognize her...but he's still smart...he's got brains, an' more than jist halfa one! lol! Roy...he's the brother! He has to care even if it's just a little, but he cares a lot...he just can't show it! Or won't...I don't know guys are weird! Ahh your computer died? That's the worst isn't it? Finals are terrible too! I had mine last week and got a 73 on my bible one, my mom almost had kittens I swear lol Speaking of horror movies-watchin' Night of the Living Dead 3 right now with teenage Julie Cooper from the OC! I love the OC anyway I think I'm done...bbye!

Pony Fxcker: Thank you! I tried to update faster, I got no ideas at all lol thanks for your review!

cloakedauthor21: Allllright. I worked VERY hard on the new chapter and character! I changed her name. It's Rebecka Valentine-"Beck" for short and her boy is...well you'll see! She's great, I love her lol CONGRATS!

!A/N: 'Beck' was inspired by 'cloakedauthor21's Cyndall Mcgee!

READ ON EVERYBODY AND PLEASE REVIEW!

xxx

"She's an angel..."

"Nice face. Bit pudgy for my taste."

"Do we wake her?"

"She looks better when she's asleep."

"She's poifect! I dunna care what any a' you say!"

Charlie couldn't pretend she was sleeping any longer. She opened her eyes and found a face, inches from her own. A dirty, smudged little boy's face.

"Good Mornin'! Or I should say G'NIGHT!" he yelled and moved back. Being able to look at him properly, she saw it was Tiny, from last night, along with three of his little friends.

"hi..." she said hoarsely, and looking around, it was late. It must've been at least 8 o'clock, how could she sleep that long? "How long have I been asleep?"

"Since ya showed up at t'ree dis mornin'"

It took a minute for her to remember everything that had happened the night prior. When she did, her mind reeled as it all played back. Don, Stripes, the gun, the shot, the blood...

It was a morbid daydream.

She sat up, stretched and yawned-

"Told ya she looked better when she was sleepin'." one of the boys said, in what he must have thought was a discreet voice. Charlie quickly shut her wide-open mouth and returned her arms to their sides. But what did she care what they thought? They were trashy Brooklyn kids.

"Let 'er alone!" Tiny yelled whole-heartedly.

"I t'ink Tiny's gots a goilfriend!"

Tiny's cheeked reddened to the color of his messier-than-yesterday hair, "SHUTUP!"

Charlie finally stepped in for her little knight. "Cut it out, huh?"

The four children stared down at her, as she was still on the lumpy couch. She remembered last night...tripping...not being able to walk home...and that's why she was there. She took off her blanket and examined her foot. It had not swelled down, and still gave off a painful buzz.

She looked back at the boys, who were entranced, in a disgusted sort of way, by her purple ankle.

She tried to distract them. "Soo...where is ev'rybody?"

Tiny spoke up, "Sellin' da evenin' edition. Spot says we kids is too young-but we kin start sellin' at night come our next birthday."

It was the first time Charlie had thought of Spot. How he had been so reluctant to let her stay, how he watched her that whole night...did he suspect? No. He couldn't. Even during the good times, when nobody was killed in the streets, he didn't know who she was. He had only ever talked, or argued, or fought, with her brother.

"Spot says for now, we should jist hang out heah an' watch aftah you'se."

Charlie turned her attention back to Tiny and scoffed. "Spot t'inks I need watchin' aftah by you tikes?" She knew after the words left her mouth, she had made a mistake.

"'tikes'?"

"HEY!"

"If you wasn't a goil, I'd-"

"Whatcha thinkin,' questioning Spot?"

Tiny hushed his friends. "I dunno if you know dis, but Spot's kinda da leadah heah...what he says, goes."

Charlie choked back a laugh and thought of her brother. "I figured," she said, rolling her eyes.

The room fell silent, the group stared back and forth between one another. It ceased only when Charlie's stomach let out a long, loud growl. She threw her hands to her gut instinctively to muffle the sound, but failed.

The boys giggled. Tiny advanced, grinning. "You hungry?"

Hungry was an understatement, Charlie thought. "A little," she replied.

"We'll go check if there's anyt'ing good! C'mon guys!"

One of the boys protested. "We don't wanna-"

"C'MON. GUYS." Tiny said glaring. Charlie couldn't help liking the boy.

Ten or twenty minutes later the boys returned from the small kitchen with a bowl of off-white goop. She didn't trust it, but looked at their smiling faces, and grabbed a large spoon full.

Before it had grazed her lips, the front door to the Brooklyn Newsie Lodging House flew open, and a black-haired beauty burst inside.

"HEY BOYS!"

They all turned their heads. The children smiled and rushed over to hug her hips. "Great ta see you all too!" she said as they nearly knocked her over. "Who a' you?" she asked Charlie after looking up and seeing the foreign girl.

"uhh Charlotte...I came heah last night 'cause of-"

"Oh, so you're da gimp! Twitch assed me ta come check on you...I'm Beck!" The girl said, smiling. Charlie noticed 'Beck's eyes move downward and focus on the food in her lap with her nose scrunched up. "Whatta you eatin'?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Charlie said, giving the girl a once-over. She grabbed Charlie's bowl and sniffed at the contents inside.

"Gawd! Is there whiskey in here?"

"Just a bit-"

"Oatmeal ain't s'posed ta have alcohol, Tiny!"

Tiny looked down, mortified, as Beck got up and dumped the "oatmeal" out a window. Charlie listened to it splash onto the sidewalk outside, and watched Beck as she ran around the kitchen, washing the dish, and getting food.

Charlie thought she was one of the prettiest girls she had ever seen, and she lived with girls who were pretty for a profession. She was dressed in all black, a shorter skirt and blouse, they paled her skin near-white and accented her chin-length curly black hair. Her eyes were blue and soft, a complete contrast to Charlie's.

Soon Charlie had a hot meal in front of her and she began to eat her fill.

"I'm sorry Beck..." Tiny said in a small voice from where he stood, next to the armchair Beck sat in, the same one Spot spend the night in, as he watched Charlie.

"It's okay, kid," she said and gave him a squeeze around the middle, "but if Spot asks why halfa his whiskey's gone, you're dealin' wit' it, not me."

"Why's halfa me whiskey gone?" Charlie jumped, and spilled a bit of her oatmeal on the blanket resting over her legs, when she heard Spot's voice at the front door.

Beck looked over at him from behind Tiny's back. "Heya Spot."

"Hey...why's halfa me whiskey gone?"

"Oh...bit of a cooking accident...fell an' spilled. I toldja ta stop stashin' it on da top shelf!"

Spot looked curiously at Beck, before walking in with Twitch on his shadow, and shooing her out of his chair.

The smaller boys crowded around Spot, asking him about his day, who he'd soaked, if he went down to the river, if he saw anybody from Manhattan...or Queens. They adored him, it was something Roy didn't have. He had fear, respect from fear, Spot had it willingly. Roy would be jealous, Charlie thought, he wouldn't admit it, but he'd be jealous.

Beck and Spot were obviously close. They had probably known each other most of their lives, and were still appealed by the other's presence. Charlie thought about the only other person, besides her brother, she had known all her life: Don. She _hated_ him.

As the excitement of Spot's arrival died down, it made way for a new feeling for Charlie as the front door opened once again. Her stomach flipped and threatened to let go of the new food when in strode the one person who could give her away, the link between Brooklyn and Queens, Roy's informant, a spy, a snitch.

Lone Cline: The Traitor.

A more selfish person, you'd never meet. Lone Cline sold information on Spot's boys to Roy, He was the reason Rusty and Charlie knew where to go to find Danny Walkerin Midtown. He was the one that sold out Stripes and Gin, and told them to go to that alley the night before. He was a double crossing, two-faced rat bastard, always desperate for cash. And he knew who she was.

"Charlie?"

She had never felt more sick at the sound of her own name before. It was the tingling-in-your-stomach, apprehensive sick, with butterflies buzzing around at alarming speeds, she shut her mouth to keep them from coming up and ultimately choking her on the way out.

"'Charlie'?...I t'ought ya name was Charlotte-"

"It's obviously a petname, Twitch, " Beck said rolling her eyes, and walking up to Lone. "Though why _my_ boyfriend has a petname for someone othah than me...is what I would like ta know..." she gave him a quick kiss on the mouth before pulling him back to the group. He kept his eyes locked on Charlie, slowly a smirk crawled across his face.

"Becky! Baby! Me an' Charlie heah, we go wayyy back."

"Really..." she said suspiciously cocking an eyebrow.

"Yeah! Don't be jealous though. You ain't got no competition." he gave her an identical kiss, and fell into another conversation with Spot and one of the other boys that had just stepped in.

Every so often Lone would steal a look at her, and she would look right back. She was barely there, and hardly noticed when Beck stood up to leave until Lone got up to walk her to the door.

"I'll see ya tomorrow, Becky."

"Bye...cya Spot!"

"Bye Beck." With that she left.

Twitch stood and looked around the room. In a quiet voice he said, "You should all move upstairs, Charlotte can't sleep witcha all talkin' down heah..." Nobody was listening until Spot stood up.

"Git upstairs NOW! All a' you! C'mon GO!"

They all obeyed, however begrudged. Lone and Twitch hung behind.

"Spot, ya know what, I'll watch Charlie for ya!" Lone said, sitting in Spot's chair. "Me an' her got alot ta catch up on anyhow!"

Spot gave him a funny look but said it was fine and left the two of them alone.

Charlie slowly brought her eyes to his face to find him staring intensely at her.

"So...what'd ya bruthah send ya heah undercover? Ya gona kill someone? Me? _Conlon?"_

"I'm not killin' nobody. I jist wanna git the fuck outta heah!"

Lone sat back. "Go den."

"I can't!"

"Why?"

Charlie lifted the blanket and exposed her ankle, "Long story."

"Ya stuck?"

"For da time being."

It was quiet for a moment. "Want me ta tell ya bruthah?"

"No!" Charlie almost shouted, and hushed. "He'll come ovah heah, guns blazin', somebody'll git hurt."

"He's tryin' ta find you, he even told _me_ you was missin-"

"I'm a quick healer. I'll be back soon." Charlie paused. "I ain't worryin' him too much, am I?"

Lone pondered. "He's been...uneasy, Rusty an' Don are da ones worryin'-

"Don?"

"Ya bruthah's been on his case since ya split."

Charlie gave a quiet, "Oh," and looked down at the stain she had caused on the blanket.

"Yeah. Ya actions do got consequences."

She laughed. "Nevah woulda guessed I'd be sittin' in Brooklyn, gettin' lectured by you a' all people."

Lone slowly smiled, "Yeah, life throws funny shit atcha sometimes, don't it?" Charlie nodded and yawned. "Tired? I understand. All a' dis must be overwhelming." Silently she nodded again and lied back on the couch.

Charlie forced herself to stay awake until Lone fell asleep. She couldn't successfully rest with somebody watching her every move. That's how she felt in Brooklyn, that someone's eyes were on her constantly.

And she was right.

xxx

REVIEW-) And I'll hurry with the next one! Hope you liked Beck cloakedauthor21! She's allll yours!  
Ash


	9. Lies

**Kings n' Queens**

Okay! It took me forever! BUT HERE IT IS! My update!  
Before you go on...I HAVE to tell somebody about the dream I had last night...my boyfriend was Snipeshooter...no, no not in real life. That'd make him like 20 something, but in my dream he was! AND he introduced me to all the Newsies! HOW HOTT IS THAT? So hott, I know...lol I couldn't date Spot though...because of the whole "Me being with Snipeshooter" thing.

Alright. Now that THAT'S done...

SHOUTS

allaboutelephants22: Sodapop: Cowboy: haha I love nicknames. I have way too many to count! A favorites list? YAY! Next chapter...hmmm...I don't even know what I'm doing yet lol thanks for reviewing! Do it again sometime! Reviews make me happy!

Pancakes: Here ya go!

cloakedauthor21: Beck's in here a bit...she'll be around more. I feel like I should say sorry that Lone's such an ass lol so...SORRY! lol

time is a waste of life: hahahahahahaha...it IS fun! lol I took way too long to update I'm sorry...I ran out of things to do! Really! I would sit in Algebra 2, staring at my notebook as the stupid blank pages would MOCK me...but I'm good now! Jeez I don't even know who's watching her-oh wow. I shouldn't say that, huh? lol Hope you like this one!

splashey: I FINALLY UPDATED! haha Whiskey in oatmeal...I don't know I don't think I'll be trying it anytime soon, personally lol I didn't even know Beck was a band or singer or whatever! But I was listening to my Moulin Rouge Soundtrack the other day, and that group is on there! Man...I thought I was being all creative and stuff...oh well I like it lol it took me forever to get! I went through soo many baby name sites! Hmm...you'll see about Lone! He's kind of...a jerk lol Thanks for Reviewing hun!

Scamley Elliot: You ARE back lol What's life without suprises, I say lol This one's got a bit of a suprise. Sheesh, took me long enough, right?

Outsider Wolf: Haha I do the same thing! And I try to come up with stuff...but sometimes I'm just spent. Out of ideas. Completely...umm...blank! But here it is! YOUR UPDATE! Well, it's really MY update...anyway! Hope you like it!

StarstuckLily: ooo so many things against you! lol Math...what's the point? Soem of it we're NEVER going to use again so I dont get it! I can add. I think I can live lol I love Tiny too lol He's a little ditz haha! "RIP Spot's whiskey" that's great! ohh man lol that made me smile...Beck loves Lone though! She jsut doesn't know how much of a butthead he is! But I think it'll come out soon I don't know. Hmm who IS watching her...lol thanks for the review hun!  
PS: I can't wait to see my character in 'Learning to Adapt'!

**READ LEARNING TO ADAPT GUYS! IT'S A GOOD STORY!**  
Like that Lils? lol

Thanks for Reviewing guys! I appreciate it! Hope you like this chappie! OH! I'll be putting out my FIRST song fic. VERY soon! And I'll be starting a new Newsies series and putting up a Casting Call! Figured I'd tell you guys since you're SO AWESOME about reviewing!

Anybody who knows a BETA looking for a job...point them in my direction:)

DISCLAIMER: Errr I don't own Newsies...but apparently Snipeshooter's my boyfriend...lol jk jk cloakedauthor21 owns Beck kinda...umm...anything else? I don't think so!

READ AND REVIEW!

**A Familiar Face**

After a long, sleepless night, Donovan Sloane staggered into the rundown building he had come to call home.

Rusty Maloy followed after him, cigarette in mouth, and they both made their way upstairs, trying to avoid the anxious faces they passed.

Once the door from the stairwell to the fourth floor shut, two blonde heads popped out of a nearby room. Wyatt and Paige inched towards the boys carefully with their backs against the wall.

Wyatt was the first to speak, "Didja find 'er?"

"Where's Roy?" was Don's response.

"In his room wit' Courtney." Paige piped.

Don cringed at the thought of interrupting anything, but he had no choice.

He rapped on the door three times with no answer. "Roy?" he called. He knocked again, harder, "Roy, it's important!"

A few seconds passed, and the door opened sharply, making Don jump back. There stood Roy, half dressed, his suspenders long forgotten, with an expression on his face, screaming 'WHAT?' Courtney sat on the bed in a faux silk camisole trying to cover herself up in the sheets. Don noticed that Rusty's eyes lingered on her barely concealed body a bit _too _long, Roy hadn't seen any of it.

"Can I help you boys?" Roy asked through gritted teeth.

Don answered, "It's Charlie. She's...in Brooklyn."

Roy's eyebrows lifted in interest. "She safe?"

"She's fine. She's...wit' Conlon."

"What does he want?" Roy raged.

"Nuthin!" Don tried to calm him, "He don't know nuthin."

"Whatta ya mean?"

"I mean...she's safe 'til he finds out who she is. Cline said he don't know nuthin 'bout 'er."

Roy let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding in and said a small, "Oh."

Rusty took the fallen silence as an opportunity to speak up, "We gotta git her out though!"

"No shit." Roy responded. Rusty looked down, slightly embarrassed. Roy tried to comfort him, he did like the guy, him and Wyatt were now the closest things he had to his sister. "We'll do it at night, soon okay?"

Rusty nodded, and Don said, "okay."

"Good. Now git out." With that Roy slammed the door, startling Wyatt and Paige who had been peeking out of their room and making them slam their own door.

Rusty and Don just looked at each other and walked down the small corridor to the stairwell.

* * *

Earlier that morning Charlie was waking up while it was still dark out. Not from paranoia, but from Lone Cline's snores. 

As she was trying to figure out what time it was, she heard footsteps coming on her direction. With a few quick movements, she laid back and threw her blanket over her head. She had good reason to be scared and go out of her way to keep from talking to anybody in this district.

Though the thin fabric keeping her hidden, Charlie heard the distinct 3-count step of the Brooklyn leader and his cane, as he walked through the room, and out the front door. Once she was sure he was gone, she pulled the blanket down tentatively and sat back up.

Eventually everyone else woke up and went out to sell, with the exception on Tiny and his few friends.

The next morning, the same thing happened. This time Charlie knew in to be around four o'clock in the morning, and she still hid.

On the third morning, she wasn't quick enough.

"Whatta you doin' up?"

She cursed silently and just stared at him as he looked on expectantly. She ignored his question.

"okay..."

He was about to leave when she stopped him.

"Where ya goin'?"

She had wanted to know and ask every time she had seen him these past two days, and now that she had, she wished she hadn't. The was nothing interesting about Spot Conlon, she told herself. She was showing weakness, curiosity. Roy would've smacked and told her to mind her own business.

"out," was his answer, and Charlie figured she deserved that.

"Oh."

Spot stopped before walking out the door, and turned around to Charlie. "How's ya foot?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, but answered, "S'ok."

"Kin ya walk on it?"

Charlie continued staring him down as he took the seat opposite her, "I ain't really tried..." She was confused. What was he playing at? Staying and talking to her like this...

"Maybe ya should," she watched him as he perched his shoes on the small table between them. "Soonah you kin walk, da soonah you kin git outta heah."

"You want me gone?" she inquired.

"No, no it's not dat. I jist figure a goil wouldn't want ta be hangin' aroun' wit' a buncha slummahs like us."

"Beck - "

"Beck's diff'rent. She don't live heah an' we all grew up wit' her."

Charlie looked around at her surroundings, the worn couch she was sitting on, everything in that one room must have been older than her, she mused.

"I ain't...so bad..."

Spot laughed, "You don't gotta lie ta me, I know how much of a Hell hole dis place is...'sides, ya bad at it."

Charlie threw him a look, "Bad at lyin'?"

"Yeah! You was blushin' an' you couldn't even look me in da face!"

"So..." Charlie started. "I'm a bad liar...should I be ashamed a' meself?"

"Only if you got sumpthin ta hide."

Charlie found Spot's eyes and gazed into them intensely. "Nope."

Spot stood and smirked. "Now dat...was a good lie."

Charlie followed his form as he made his way into the tiny kitchen. He was different. He wasn't everything everybody had ever told her he was. While she was staying in the Brooklyn Lodging House, he hadn't raised a hand to anybody...hadn't _killed_ anybody. Charlie was getting scared; scared of her own thoughts. She was granting justification to Spot Conlon! Her brother's rival! _Her_ rival! She had to get out -

"Hello...?" she looked up and Spot was staring back at her, anticipating some sort of answer that she hadn't even known the question to.

"huh?"

He smirked from behind the counter, "Want anything?"

"uhhh no...thanks.

"Suit yaself," he sat back down holding a dirty glass full of she-wasn't-sure what, and sipping from it every so often. They sat in the sweet silence until Spot broke it. "Ya know, dere's sompthin' I don't understand 'bout you," he stopped to see if Charlie objected, she didn't so he continued, "Ain'tcha worried 'boutcha fam'ly? Ain't they worried 'bout you? Or ain't you got nobody?" That was when he stopped, and waited for a few answers, to questions that had been paining him since she arrived.

So he had finally asked her about her past. What would she come up with? "I do! An'...they know I'se heah! Dey'd even...extend their gratitude ta you for takin' care a' me, if dey was heah..."

She knew she was doing a horrible job lying, and she knew he wasn't having any of it. But he just leaned back comfortably and cockily in his chair and said, "Would dey?"

Charlie took it further, "Yeah! An' they'd come heah an' git me outta ya hair if they wasn't all...woikin'!"

Spot crossed his arms over his chest and smiled. "Ohhh, that's why they ain't picked ya up yet...okay...I was jist curious." He knew she was lying, he could tell. But he didn't press it.

"What about you?" Charlie asked. She figured now she had a right to ask the Great Spot Conlon about his family, his past. There were rumors about him, proving that nobody had anything better to talk about.

At that moment his smile died. He responded, "What about me?"

Charlie was about to ask again, when footsteps began echoing through the small hallway and into their room. They weren't Spot's footsteps, Charlie knew, she had that sound burned into the back of her brain. When the person finally emerged, he gave a lazy yawn and scratched his head. It was Twitch.

He looked around the room, first at Charlie, and then saw Spot. He looked puzzled.

"Spot, it's like...eight in da mornin' whatta still doin' heah?"

Spot looked at him, and then caught a glimpse of the sunlight pouring into the room, illuminating everything in its way. He jumped out of his seat, spilling his drink.

"I-we was jist talkin' an'...I'm late! Twitch, grab me 200 papes an' I'll meet you at me sellin' spot, okay?" He didn't wait for an answer, he just left.

"Well," Twitch started, making Charlie turn and look at him instead of the front door Spot had just left through. "I dunno whatchu got ta talkin' 'bout dat kept him aroun' dis long, but it musta bin good!"

Charlie shrugged. It hadn't been that interesting.

Twitch ate and left, as did the other boys. Tiny and the regular boys still kept her company, and Beck seemed to show up the same time everyday after getting off work, so her coming around wasn't a big deal.

Spot was always the first home, but that night he strode in at near midnight.

He kicked Tiny out of his seat and sat down.

Tiny looked around, and decided to situate himself on Charlie's lap. She almost threw him off, but he felt so much like her baby brother...she hadn't thought of him in a while.

"Charlie?"

"Yes, Tiny?" Charlie smiled to herself. She tried not to, it was a sign that she was getting too comfortable, but she couldn't help it.

"You won't leave will ya?"

Spot, who she hadn't known was listening, answered, "She will once she kin walk...or when 'er fam'ly kin take off woik ta come git 'er...which evah comes foist."

Tiny stopped smiling and glared at Spot, who only reached over and mussed his hair up.

"She's got people dat care about 'er, Tiny!"

"I care about 'er too!"

Charlie's heart was breaking. "Shh..." she coddled as she hugged Tiny closer. "Don't t'ink about it."

She decided that she wouldn't be able to say goodbye to Tiny, that she'd end up taking him with her. Then she remembered, in reality, she couldn't say goodbye to any of them. She'd just have to leave; no words.

Moments later Tiny was asleep in her arms, and everyone was heading to bed.

Charlie was half asleep as well, listening to the steady rhythm of Tiny's breathing. Spot got up and Charlie was barely conscious as he lifted Tiny off her, to take him to the bunks, but she was jolted awake by the loud 'BANG!' of a door being fiercely swung open and carelessly left to smack the opposite wall.

Tiny rubbed his eyes while in Spot's secure arms and was the first to speak, "What's goin' on?"

Nobody knew. Beck, who was closest to the door, and on her way out, stood in everyone's line of vision.

The intruder pushed her out of the way, and stumbled past her. Lone stood up, and Spot held his ground at the opening of the corridor, while gently letting Tiny down and telling him to run. Tiny didn't leave Spot's side.

The further into the room the man came, the more people he was recognized by.

Lone was the first to confront him. "Hey, buddy...you okay?"

Spot stepped closer. "Ya gona hafta-Gin?"

Charlie froze at the name, and stared. Gin? Brice? The guy Rusty was running after only a few nights ago? He looked horrible, like he had just been thrown off the Statue of Liberty and been told to run home.

He kept advancing on Spot, who looked like he didn't know what to do. He could put up an intimidating front, but could he start a brawl in the middle of his Lodging House with one of his own?

Once Gin was inches from Spot's face, and everyone's breathing was coming in hitches, he turned, and saw Charlie.

His eyes caught fire, Charlie's jaw dropped as he pointed a finger at her and screamed a nearly incoherent, "YOOOOUU!"

After the sudden sound finished echoing, Gin's eyes rolled white into the back of his head and he fell onto Spot, then the floor.

Twitch, who had been watching everything from the other side of the room, ran over and knelt beside Gin. After what felt like hours, he looked up and proclaimed, "He's...dead..."

Beck collapsed into Lone, and Tiny hugged onto Spot. Charlie just stared at the lifeless body.

When she finally tore her eyes away from him, she found that everyone was watching her.

Spot's gaze was burning in the same way Gin's had.

And she was scared.

* * *

"So, she's in Brooklyn, huh?" 

"Dat's what we'se heah ta discuss, ain't it?"

"Dat's whatcha tellin' me - "

"You think I'm lyin'?"

"Cheese it boys. Let's git down ta business."

Rusty and Don listened outside Roy's bedroom while he was having a meeting with Harlem and the Bronx, Loring Tracey and Nicky Hardy, as well as the old leader of Queens, Audric Yorke.

"Whatta ya think they'll decide?" Rusty whispered.

"You shaddap, an' maybe I kin heah _what dey decide!"_ Don shot back.

"She'll need ta be gotten outta there...dat sunnuva bitch, Cline'll sell her out in a minute ta save his own skin."

"It's true."

"I know, I know. Who do we send out?"

"What 'bout Don?"

"I don't trust him alone wit' me sistah."

"Send Rusty too. An' Wyatt."

"Yeah, I'm gona send me little bruthah wit' dem ta Brooklyn...bad call, Nicky!"

"Really..."

"Ya might as well give da kid some responsibility...you don't want some Nancy-boy runnin' ya district when ya too old ta do it yaself!"

"Nicky's right, my baby boy's already bin on his foist job wit' his Pops!"

"Ain't Reagan like...five?"

"What's ya point?"

"We'se gettin' off topic! Charlie could be dead right now!"

"Calm down, Roy! Don, Rusty, an' Wyatt'll go tahmahrrow night!"

"I-okay...fine...sounds good."

"Good. Now...show ya cards."

"Pair a' t'rees...I know...jist my luck..."

"We said Duces was wild, right? Okay...uhhm four of a kind-eights."

"It shouldn't count when ya got t'ree twos an' one eight."

"But it does."

"Shove it, _Loring."_

"Jist putcha cards on da table, _Yorke."_

"T'ree eights-_real_ eights."

"It don't mattah-"

"It should!"

"Knock it off you two! Roy, whatta ya got."

"Well...I hate ta do dis ta you boys, but I got...a Royal Flush."

"Aww! Figures!"

"I can't believe dis bastards luck..."

"It's _only_ luck. I'm tapped out...'sides Tracey and me gotta git back ovah da bridge."

"Yeah. 'Night Yorke, Mason - Hey! I had da Ace a' Spades! Why's it in ya Flush!"

"Is it? uhh I dunno..."

"Dirty cheatah!"

"Great," Don said, walking to his room. "We gotta go ta Brooklyn ta git Charlie, _an' _babysit!"

"At least we'll have 'er back." Roy said, following. "Den we won't hafta worry 'bout any a' dis anymore."

"Yeah, well...I still say it's her own fault, runnin' away like dat!"

"I know Don, whatevah you gotta say ta fall asleep at night."

"Fuck you, Rusty!"

"'Night Don."

The boys left each other's company and soon found themselves in their own beds. They were both able to fall asleep.

In Brooklyn, Charlie was lying down on her back staring at that moldy ceiling again.

* * *

Good? TELL ME! REVIEW!  
Ash 


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